If you have looked up which illnesses reflexology treats, you have probably come across long lists: migraines, constipation, asthma, infertility, thyroid problems. This article tells you something less spectacular but more useful: what reflexology can realistically do, what it can’t do, and how many sessions make sense depending on what you want from it. If you first want to know what it is and what the foot map looks like, you will find everything in our guide to reflexology and the foot map.

Which illnesses does reflexology treat? The honest answer

In short: none, in the sense that a medicine or a medical procedure treats an illness. Reflexology is a relaxation therapy based on pressure applied to the soles, sometimes also to the palms, built on the idea that certain areas of the foot correspond to parts of the body. The idea is old and has its charm, but a direct link between a point on the sole and an organ has not been proven.

That doesn’t mean reflexology does nothing. It means its effect is different from what the online lists promise. It works mainly through relaxation: firm, rhythmic pressure on the soles calms the nervous system, eases muscle tension and gives you a sense of calm that you feel throughout the body. Almost all the real benefits you hear about come from that state.

So where do the lists of illnesses come from? Mostly from the fact that people feel better after a session. When you are relaxed, pain seems smaller, digestion settles, you sleep better. It is easy to credit a specific point on the sole for this, when it is really the overall effect of an hour in which your body rested. Medical organisations such as Cancer Research UK say plainly that there is no evidence reflexology cures or prevents any disease, while acknowledging that it can help people feel more relaxed and better in themselves.

The attention you receive matters too. For an hour, someone focuses only on you, asks how you feel and works slowly, without rushing. For many people, that alone is a big change from the rest of their day. There is nothing wrong with enjoying it, as long as you don’t mistake it for a treatment.

Where it can help: what the research shows

There are many studies on reflexology, but a lot of them are small, short or lack a good comparison group. When they were analysed together, the conclusion was cautious. A review of clinical trials published in 2009 in the Medical Journal of Australia found that the best evidence does not support reflexology as an effective treatment for any specific condition. Later research has, however, fairly often found a few effects that people who come to sessions also notice:

• Relaxation and less stress. This is the most frequently reported effect. Many people describe a sense of calm that lasts for a few hours after the session.
• Less unease during difficult times. Some hospitals use reflexology as a comfort therapy, for example for patients going through long treatments, and many of them say they felt calmer afterwards.
• Better sleep. Not because a particular point fixes sleep, but because a relaxed body falls asleep more easily. Many of our clients tell us the night after a session is more restful.
• Lighter feet. Pressure and movement relax the muscles and tendons of the sole and ankle, and after a long day on your feet you feel the difference straight away. If that is your main reason, a foot massage can help just as well.
• Less discomfort, for the moment. Some studies found that people feel less pain or tension after a session. The effect is temporary and does not treat the cause of the pain.

What all of these have in common: they are effects on how you feel, not cures. That doesn’t make them less valuable. Stress keeps your muscles tight, disturbs your sleep and makes you more sensitive to pain. An hour in which your body truly relaxes breaks that cycle for a while, and for many people it is exactly what is missing from a busy week.

What reflexology can’t do

You rarely see this part written clearly, so we will say it directly. Reflexology:

• does not cure illnesses, acute or chronic, and cannot replace a treatment prescribed by your doctor;
• does not detox your body. The idea that toxins collect in the soles and are removed by pressure has no physiological basis. Your liver and kidneys do the cleaning, not your feet;
• does not help you lose weight and does not measurably speed up your metabolism;
• does not treat infertility, hormonal or thyroid problems, however many promises of this kind you may read;
• does not reliably or lastingly lower blood pressure or blood sugar. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, your treatment remains the one from your doctor;
• does not diagnose anything, which we explain just below.

If a therapist promises you any of the above, take it as a sign to be careful. A good reflexology session relaxes you, takes into account how you feel and comes with honest expectations about what it can do.

The way the session starts is also a good sign. A serious therapist asks at the beginning about your health, the medication you take and any sensitive areas, and tells you when it is better to postpone. One who diagnoses you after pressing your soles, or tells you to stop a treatment, is not practising responsible reflexology.

Can reflexology tell you which organ is ill?

It is one of the most widespread ideas: the therapist presses on your sole, you feel pain in one area, and on the map that area corresponds to the stomach or the liver, so there must be a problem there. Some call this reflex diagnosis.

A tender point has much simpler explanations: the skin is thinner there, you have a callus, a tight tendon, tight shoes, or you have spent a lot of time standing in recent days. The few studies that tested the idea asked several reflexologists to examine the same people, who had already known conditions. The result: the therapists did not identify the conditions any better than chance would, and they did not even agree with each other.

So if you feel a sore spot during the session, tell the therapist so she can ease the pressure, but don’t draw conclusions about your health. If you have a symptom that worries you, the right place for it is your doctor’s office, not the massage table.

How many reflexology sessions do you need

There is no scientifically established number, because reflexology doesn’t treat an illness with a clear beginning and end. The number of sessions depends on what you are after. As a guide, based on what we see with our clients:

• For relaxation, just once: one session is enough to feel the effect. Many people simply come when they need a break, without a plan.
• For a stressful period or poor sleep: a short series of 4-6 sessions, one a week, shows you whether reflexology helps you. If you feel no difference after 3-4 sessions, it is probably not the right therapy for you, and that’s fine.
• For maintenance: after the series, one session every 2-4 weeks keeps up the habit of stopping and relaxing.
• For tired feet: one session whenever you have had a hard week on your feet. Here you feel the effect on the spot.

The first session is often different from the ones that follow. Your soles are more sensitive, you don’t know what to expect yet and it is harder to relax. From the second or third session your body recognises the rhythm and you settle into it more easily, so don’t judge reflexology on the first visit alone.

To know whether the series is helping, jot down once a day how you slept and how tense you felt, on a scale of 1 to 10. After a few weeks you will see clearly whether anything has changed, without relying only on how you feel in the moment.

Be careful if someone promises that a condition will disappear after a certain number of sessions. A regular rhythm makes sense if you enjoy coming for relaxation, and then a massage subscription helps you keep it up. As a treatment for an illness, though, no series of sessions is the answer.

How often to book sessions and how long the effects last

For a series, one session a week is a good rhythm: your body has time to rest and you can notice how you feel between sessions. Two sessions a week do no harm, but they don’t double the effect either.

The feeling of relaxation usually lasts a few hours, and sleep the following night is often deeper. The light feeling in your feet can last a day or two, depending on how much you stand. The effects don’t add up like a treatment that ends on a set day. You feel them with each session, and a regular rhythm helps you get back into that state more easily.

A session lasts 30 or 60 minutes. For a first visit, 30 minutes shows you how you respond to the pressure. In 60 minutes you have time to relax completely. To get more out of it: don’t come straight after a big meal, drink a glass of water afterwards and, if you can, don’t rush off to something stressful. The half hour after matters. If you want to see how you feel, you can book reflexology in Bucharest at our salon in the Promenada Mall area.

Reflexology alongside your medical treatment

The right place for reflexology is next to medical treatment, not instead of it. If you have a chronic condition, it can help you relax and get through a difficult period more easily, while your doctor takes care of the illness itself. A few simple rules:

• don’t stop or change a treatment because you are having reflexology;
• tell the therapist when you book if you have a chronic illness, if you are pregnant or if you have had surgery recently;
• if you have diabetes with reduced feeling in your feet, circulation problems or a history of thrombosis, ask your doctor first;
• if you have a wound, an infection or a sprain in your foot, postpone the session until it heals.

The full list of situations when it is better to wait is in the foot map guide mentioned at the start of this article. And one more thing: if your feet are often swollen, numb or painful, don’t treat them with massage alone. These can be signs of a circulation or nerve problem and are worth having checked by a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Does reflexology help with insomnia?
It can help you fall asleep more easily because it relaxes you. It does not, however, treat the cause of insomnia. If you have been sleeping badly for several weeks, talk to a doctor.

Will I feel the effect after the first session?
The relaxation, yes, most of the time even during the session. If you are after better sleep or less stress during a hard period, you need a few sessions to tell whether it helps.

Does reflexology help with detox or weight loss?
No. There is no evidence that it removes toxins or helps you lose weight. It helps you relax, and that is a good enough reason to try it.

Price and booking

At Bali Temple, reflexology is available in 30- and 60-minute sessions. See the latest details and prices and book directly on the Reflexology page, or explore all our treatments in the classic massage section.

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